And there it is
by terfle
Summary: The Musketeers are on a mission, to find the diamonds. But their tip off leads them slightly off track. Milady & Rochefort are on hand to confuse
1. Chapter 1

Early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains and bathed the room pale gold. He rose and prepared some water to wash in, taking care not to wake the other side of the bed. She sighed faintly and snuggled down deeper into the duvet, hair cascading over her shoulders onto the pillow.

He shut the door and took his leisurely time in the bath, unaware of the sudden ambush that awaited him once he got out.

The ambush in the form of the Musketeers crept up the stairs vigilantly. They were sure this was the place that Buckingham would be right now. The man had a few secret places around France, this was one he frequented a lot and they had word he was in Paris. Their best bet was here. Athos lifted a finger to his lips for his comrades to observe and stole along the narrow corridor to the door ahead. Just an ordinary door, it didn't stand out from any other on any other floor in the ramshackle block of flats. He pressed a cautious hand to the handle and turned it slowly to check. To his surprise the door swung open quietly, Buckingham must have it oiled to minimize detection. The Musketeers peered round the door. They could hear the sound of water running in the bathroom, revealing signs of life.

'He might have a sword near him or by his bed' whispered Athos to the others. They nodded and fanned out, Porthos staying by the bathroom door and the other two searching the almost bare garret. It consisted of a very large room with a bathroom to the left and a tiny kitchen located next to it. They doubted Buckingham used it much. By the time they caught up with him he wouldn't be up to baking anything, the double crossing traitor. It didn't take long to find the bed on the other side of the room and to spot who was in it. Whoever it was, it was definitely female, Aramis could recall quite clearly that Buckingham didn't have a mane of dark red hair. Nor would he be wearing a turquoise dressing gown, silk by the look of it.

'She may be his wife' whispered Athos. 'Let's not wake her.' Aramis nodded and they made their way over to the door where Porthos was standing guard. He signalled that Buckingham was about to come out and they waited. A minute later, the door opened and a man in a towel came out whistling softly. They pounced on him and slammed a hand over his mouth as he yelled out in shock. Porthos held his arms while Athos got straight to the point.

'Where are the diamonds?'

Buckingham struggled against them, glaring at them with angry dark eyes; his muffled response was heard through Aramis's hand. Porthos shook his head while Athos came to the same conclusion. 'Take your hand off' he instructed the puzzled Aramis. He complied.

Hand removed, the man spoke in a low tone, understanding that this wasn't a moment to shout. He also seemed not to want to wake the woman in the bed.

'What are you talking about?' He hissed.

'The diamonds, what have you done with them?'

'What diamonds?' He seemed mystified. Athos wasn't going to fall for it.

'Whatever you're planning, you won't get away with it.' Not original he knew but he didn't have much of an opening gambit. They had to rescue those diamonds without delay. Buckingham continued to look puzzled. 'I'm not doing anything but having a bath.'

'A likely story' sneered Porthos, fully convinced Buckingham was lying. Athos had sudden doubts. The man tried to pull away but Porthos held him tight. 'Don't think about trying to escape.'

'My towel is slipping' the man remarked in a sarcastic tone. 'Feel free to secure it for me.' Porthos released his arms while he readjusted it.

'All right, let's start again. The diamonds. Where are they?' Snapped Athos.

'I don't have any diamonds and I wouldn't know what to do with them if I had.' The man made no attempt to escape as he stared at them mulishly. They hadn't expected Buckingham to be this stoic. Not that any of them had actually met him but they had heard stories about how Buckingham had panicked in the event of a fire and thrown his glass of wine at the flaming area of the room. It had made him the laughing stock of parties thereafter. Aramis had seen him once but it wasn't enough to identify him on. He was dark, that's what he knew. And this man was dark. Cafe au lait colour. Was Aramis sure this was Buckingham? He wasn't sure.

'This is Buckingham's hideout?' Enquired Athos.

'As far as I know, yes' replied the man.

'And you are Buckingham!' Concluded Porthos, quick off the mark.

The man looked at him and gave a bark of laughter, much to their surprise. 'You think I am Buckingham?'

'You must be' said Aramis.

'Not I' said the man shaking his head. 'Buckingham is away in London right now.'

So their lead was wrong.

'So who are you?' Asked Athos perplexedly.

'My name is Rochefort. Not Buckingham.' He smirked at the misfortune to be mistaken for that idiot.

Cardianal Richelieu's right hand man? Athos couldn't believe it.


	2. Chapter 2

'What are you doing here?'

'I was passing by in the rain and thought I might make the most of the lodgings.' He shrugged, unconcerned about the ethical consideration of breaking into someone's place.

'How did you get in? The door wasn't forced.'

'Didn't need to be. Had a key.'

'You left the door unlocked.'

'How careless of me.'

'How do you have a key to Buckingham's flat?'

He didn't answer straight away. His glance elsewhere told Athos all he needed to know. 'We know you're not alone. We've already seen her.'

'Well then I don't have to lie to you.' Another shrug.

'So how did you get in?'

'She had the key.'

'How?'

'She has her ways.' He smirked slightly. Athos caught the inference. 'Buckingham's mistress?'

Rochefort raised an eyebrow. 'You need a wife in order to have a mistress. Buckingham is not fortunate with the ladies. He has no need of a wife.' The musketeers got the hint.

'So you don't know where the diamonds are?'

'No, I don't deal with diamonds or any other precious items; I don't know anything about them. I only crashed here for the night.' Rochefort was bored of the conversation now. He looked past them towards the bed. Athos took it to mean he wanted to get back to it and the lady in it. If he didn't know anything about the diamonds they would have to leave. He signalled to the others.

'Sorry to have bothered you.'

A movement from the other side of the room drew their attention. The lady was stirring with a sigh, sitting up languidly, a sleeve slipping slightly from her white shoulder. She opened her eyes to find four men in the room. She smiled, registering surprise for just a moment.

'Good morning.' Said she.

'I didn't realise we had company. I would have gotten up earlier and made an effort. And I thought you preferred women.' This she directed at a grinning Rochefort. 'Has that changed all of a sudden now that three men in uniforms are here?' She demanded playfully.

The musketeers were confused, they were certain Rochefort was having a relationship with Buckingham's...what was she? Surely he wasn't...?

Rochefort read their minds. He grinned.

'I'm not that way inclined. But I knew you thought that about me.' He teased. Porthos breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He wasn't sure how to handle that.

'The lady...' Aramis gestured to her. Rochefort raised his eyebrows again; he knew what it looked like, them sharing a bed together.

'We're platonic.'


	3. Chapter 3

All this time Athos was staring at the lady as if he'd seen a ghost. It was, but it couldn't be. Her gaze travelled from man to man, finally alighting on him. Her face changed, it was no longer playful and teasing, it was wary. She recognised him. And he, her. She decided not to make an issue of it. Swinging her legs over the rumpled sheets and making her way to the kitchen, she sashayed past them with a hint of vanilla perfume misting through the air.

'Are you men staying for breakfast? You can make the tea then, I'm not playing the little woman.'

Athos couldn't stop looking at her; he knew he had to say something. She turned around and looked at him straight in the face, fearless to his accusing gaze. For he was accusing her of being alive and well when he had expected her to not be. She knew it. She walked over to him, coming so close he could feel the power simmering behind her carefully composed mask.

'The uniform is quite an acquisition, Monsieur' she said softly, reaching up to him and tweaking his collar dismissively.

The other two musketeers exchanged looks. Rochefort chuckled quietly. 'Do you two know each other?' Asked Porthos apprehensively. He didn't know what to make of a situation where Athos would know a woman that he didn't.

'I didn't realise you worked for the other side, Madame.'

'Not through choice.'

'Do you know each other?' Repeated Aramis.

They turned to see two confused faces and one amused one.

'This is my ex wife' clarified Athos.


	4. Chapter 4

Stunned silence greeted them.

'What ex wife?'

'The one I never told you about' said Athos with a sigh.

The others looked at each other. Since when did Athos have a history? They had never asked him about one.

Rochefort motioned for them to sit while he patiently waited for the water to heat up on the stove, making himself decent in the meanwhile. The musketeers self consciously squeezed themselves on the squashy sofa and sat in silence for a while. Rochefort made the tea leaving Milady to curl up on the chair opposite, observing them from secretive blue eyes. Aramis and Porthos surreptitiously looked her up and down, noting the way the dressing gown moulded enticingly to her slender frame, the freckles on her wrist and slightly exposed skin peeking from the dressing gown, that glorious vixen hair. She wore no finery but a tiny diamond ring sparkling on her left hand. Athos knew he hadn't given her that.

'Who did you marry next to get that?' He nodded to the ring. Milady glanced at it in a casual manner. 'Don't tell me you're jealous of a dead man, Athos. That is quite unlike you.' He chose to ignore her taunt, registering a shadow in her look, the tone of her voice hiding her melancholy. Did she miss him, this other husband of hers? A faint twinge of jealousy punctuated his heart, followed by surprise. He had never needed jealousy, what use was it? Deep down he knew it was because she was the only one he had truly loved; his feelings were motivated for her apparent regret for her last husband, not him.

The other two looked askance. This was not quite the kind of lady they had imagined Athos would have married. Who was this exotic stranger?


	5. Chapter 5

'This is Milady de Winter' said Rochefort as he sat in the rickety arm chair.

'To you' muttered Athos uncharacteristically churlishly in his tea. The others observed this scene with confusion.

'Buckingham is not here.' Rochefort got to the point.

'We got that' said Athos drily.

'So what do you want?'

'Do you know where he's gone?'

'London' replied Milady. 'The most obvious place for him to be.'

'Has he got the diamonds?'

Rochefort cast an enquiring glance at Milady.

'Yes.'

'Do you know where he put them?'

'In his underwear by now I expect. He used to keep them under his pillow. Stupid place to put them.'

'How do you know?' asked Aramis curiously.

'I found out quite easily.' She smirked. 'I borrowed them. But then he stole them back. Little idiot. He's probably got them locked up in a safe by now. For her Majesty of course.'

'What about her Majesty?'

'What do you think?'

They thought. Athos had a suspicion. She played with the corners of the cushions, waiting for them to figure it out.

'They have known to have been...friendly in the past.' She hinted.

So he was right.


	6. Chapter 6

'He'll do anything for her. She asks him to jump; he'll clear the channel in a leap.'

'Fool,' Rochefort commented in amusement.

'What men in love will do...'She caught Athos' eye and said nothing more on the subject. Athos felt like an idiot. Once again he felt like she had made a fool of him. Especially in front of the others, who had not known anything about his past.

'So she asked him to hide the diamonds from his Majesty and so he did' she concluded. 'He wouldn't be happy if he knew about their previous dalliance. She seems to be the only woman he's managed to succeed with.' She smirked into her cup.

They got the hint. Porthos couldn't help but grin at the idea of the prime minister of England not being able to charm women into bed. He was too fond of the pleasures of the flesh and couldn't understand how a man might live without them, or indeed be unaccomplished in those departments.

'Is there a way of getting them back?' Asked Aramis.

'Not unless you wait around in London's alleyways to mug him' she answered drily. 'I'm sure he travels with an armed guard.'

'So what now?'

'You wait and see what happens next. It's a guessing game.'

'We can't wait around. We have things to do.' Porthos was as energetic and boisterous as he ever was. He would never learn the art of subtlety.

'Then you won't make a good secret agent.'

'We are not secret agents, Madam.' Athos scowled at her. 'We are his Majesty's men.'

'And yet you are actively aiding him so you are his agents, if not secret.' She pointed out.

The musketeers thought this over apprehensively. They felt sure that she was tricking them somehow and none of them wanted to admit to anything in case she caught them out.

'Look, we can't do anything to help you. We can't even hinder you seeing as the diamonds are in his hands across the channel. So you have to figure out your next move.' Rochefort slurped his tea, clearly unconcerned with their progress.


	7. Chapter 7

The musketeers put their heads together tried to figure out their next move. It would take time to get to England and they wouldn't know where to start once they would get there. Buckingham was proving to be quite the slippery customer. Athos glanced at his ex wife, unsure of how to approach it with her. She saw it coming from a mile away.

'You can search his home in London and his lodgings in the country but you're not guaranteed to find him' she confirmed. 'And I don't know anything else so you can stop asking.'

Athos felt an unaccustomed jolt of jealousy of the thought of Buckingham and Milady together. Was she sweet to him? Did he lead her to bed or was it the other way around? Knowing now how duplicitous she could be, he was inclined to think that she would take control of him once they got there. But he blocked it out and tried to stay neutral. But Milady had already seen that look in his eyes and it unnerved her for a minute. Athos was not the jealous type. Perhaps he was thinking of when they were married and if she had ever betrayed him with another. She never had done and had never wanted to, their marriage had been sweet, but it was certainly on his mind. She didn't pursue it however, and turned her back on him. This was enough to bring him over.

'Can we talk?'

'What is there to talk about?'

'I need to talk to you.'

They kept their voices low and impersonal; it was like talking to a stranger. She kept her eyes on Rochefort who went over to the others and engaged them in trite conversation so that Athos could draw her outside. They closed the door quietly and leaned against it. Milady suddenly felt drained. She didn't want to have to have this conversation, whatever it might be. Athos seemed on edge.

'I don't care for hearing about what a jezebel I am, Athos. You get bored with it after a short while' she commented, wearily.

Athos stared at her. He couldn't think of what he wanted to say.

'When did you get like this?'

She gave him a look of disdain. To think that someone as sincere as Athos could fall into the trap of thinking every woman was either one character or the other. Men just didn't understand how it was never as simple as that. At least Rochefort wasn't so ridiculous as to involve himself with the deeper nature of women. He loved them and left them and that was that. He didn't concern himself with understanding them. Women had secrets as much as men, more even, and she didn't have the patience to explain it all to her ex husband who didn't seem to have a clue. Poor, naive Athos.

'I was never the cute little thing you thought I was, Athos. I'm not a trophy piece to show off, I wanted more than that. You were the most decent man to me and I was happy with our marriage until you ended it all. But I'm not a submissive creature, I never can be. And if that is what you wanted from me then I can't give you that.'

Athos could only remember a gentle wife from her, so loving and endearing and he wondered how it all went wrong.

'Nothing went wrong. You fell out of love with me. And I couldn't be your little kitten.'

He protested at that, he had always appreciated her character. But there had always been a spark of fire haunting her. He had hoped it would calm down over the years. And instead it had spun out of control, making her into this person he had known nothing about. He was convinced of her guilt the minute he saw the treacherous symbol burned onto the fair skin on her shoulder. Could that mean that he never trusted her in the first place? That thought hurt him still. He knew she was the one to blame for everything but she wasn't taking that from him. She was making him feel the responsibility of ending it with her.

'Stop it!' He shouted, punching his fist into the door. Were his thoughts getting too loud for his head?

She flinched and drew back to avoid the strike that could be coming to her next but nearly tumbled down the narrow staircase. He rushed to catch her and in a whirl, they ended up collapsed on the top of the stairs in the inexplicable position in each other's arms. They stayed there for a while catching their breath. He buried his face in her hair to hide his shame over his sudden outbreak while she leaned against him with a hand holding his shirt, needing a security blanket until the shock faded.

'I'm sorry' he whispered to her, feeling the need to apologise. 'I would never hit you.'

She knew this was true. Athos rarely used his fists and certainly not against women. It was against his nature. 'Even if you wanted to hurt me, you wouldn't do it like that.'

'Are these really your true colours? Working for Richelieu brought them out? Tell me you can't be this unscrupulous' he implored her, face still buried in that silky mane of auburn. He wanted to keep the image of his angel intact but she wasn't letting him.

'I need to secure myself for my life. I could have done that with you but you decided it wasn't to be.' They rose as one, still holding onto each other.

'You're ruining your life allying yourself with him.'

'What choice do I have? I am already cursed. What harm would it do to side with the devil?'

'You don't mean that.' He loosened his hold and looked at her. She gazed back at him with those bewitching eyes; unrepentant for her actions, regretful for the way it turned out to be.

'I am not who you think I am. What you thought I was, was only a part of me. And you weren't willing to take all of me as your wife. I had to be the way you wanted me to be so I could survive. But it wasn't enough. I need more than that; I have to live, not to just merely survive.'

'And I couldn't give you what you wanted? What you needed?'

She turned away.

'You could have. If I could have trusted you to have shown myself. For you to not judge me. But that was too much for you. You can't take one aspect of a person and expect them to live like that for the rest of their lives.'

'I didn't know there was another side of you to discover' he pleaded, wanting her back in his arms.

He reached for her hand but she declined. She shook her head.

'You couldn't handle it. I was never perfect. I've made mistakes, I know I have. I tried to be what you wanted, to conceal my past. But it's not enough for you. You want someone untouchable. And that's not me. I don't love this life. I don't even like it. I don't want to be doing this. But I've got to find a way to live before I suffocate trying to be someone I'm not. Even for you.'


	8. Chapter 8

She left him alone on the landing and he hung onto the banister desolately. He felt the fleeting hope drain from him as he contemplated the rest of his life without her. For he knew this was the way it would be. If she had said she would give up this occupation to be his wife again, he would take it. But she had already confessed that she could never be what he thought she was, or what he wanted. She was a lot more complex than that. And he could never understand that. It was far easier to think of women as one way or another, not as creatures with hidden depths. He couldn't handle it. Better to steer clear of any woman. A part of him still couldn't let her go but it was impossible to think that anything could make it return as before. She had to live her life and he had to get on with his. Neither deserved to be anything, but alone. He hardened his heart and turned back to the garret, thinking of the next move.

'We go to London' he announced to the other musketeers. They nodded and prepared to leave.

'Rochefort was telling us about the usual places we might be able to find Buckingham' said Aramis.

'We'll get hold of him one way or another' added Porthos.

'Then we are much obliged to both of you' Athos nodded to Rochefort and Milady, giving no hint of recognition of what had gone on before.

'Hope you find the little rat. I'm sure he borrowed a pair of boots from me he never meant to give back' replied Rochefort laconically.

'Make sure he doesn't trip you up round corners' added Milady softly. Athos nodded to show that he understood and called his comrades to attention.

'Goodbye.'

'Pleasure to have met you' added Porthos ironically.

They left quietly, Athos bringing up the rear. His eye caught Milady's and she hastened to the door, not wishing for another altercation. He signalled for the others to continue down the stairs. He wanted to see her one time and know one last thing before she shut the door on him forever.

'Tell me honestly. Did you say that about the ring because he meant more to you than me?' He couldn't help asking. She stopped closing the door and looked at him, one eye visible beyond the gap.

'I noticed you weren't quite as you were when you mentioned it' he said quietly. He couldn't fathom the look on her face.

'You think I'm sad because of him? How you can think that I would be less so over you.' She shook her head slightly.

'You seemed sad' said he. She looked at the offending article.

'I am sad that you weren't the one to give me this instead' she said. 'It's beautiful but I would have traded it to be with you having been given the chance. If you could have accepted me as I am. But that wasn't to be. Too much has happened and you wouldn't have me anyway.' A sad smile tugged the corners of her mouth.

He wished he could have been the one to have given her the ring. But he had to forget about her now. 'I hope you'll keep safe' she said. Leaving him with that, she shut the door quietly. The key turned in the lock.

He knew by that she meant that she hoped that their paths wouldn't cross again for she was on the other side and meeting again would mean one of them having to finish the other off. And that was something both of them wanted to avoid.

'So...what next?'

Athos drew her from his thoughts and glanced down at the musketeers. They were peering up the stairs, looking slightly concerned.

'Now we figure out the next move. To London.' They clattered down the steps and into the sunlight.

Milady gazed out of the window to watch them. Rochefort looked over her shoulder. 'A waste of a good man. Richelieu could have used him.'

'Would you want Richelieu to ruin a good man?'

Rochefort reflected on this. 'I suppose not.' They both knew which one was striving for the good of the common man. They just didn't have much of a choice being on the other side.


End file.
